The Heart of a Gypsy
by go.lindseyy
Summary: Lorelei has been hiding from her parents since she turned 18. She's been on the road with the only family she has ever really cared for, traveling across the USA. When tragedy strikes and the dead won't stay dead, the group is glad they already know how to live of the land. But one day she is separated from her group and comes close to death when she is welcomed into a prison.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n - I couldn't quite fit all I wanted into my summary so here is just a little better of one, still not very great but I tried! I've been writing my own zombie apocalypse novel that I've got writers block on so this is kind of a cross over with my characters and the walking dead. It takes place not long after the end of season 3 and the months in between until the beginning of 4. I don't have a specific plot so there isn't any "pairings" I know Daryl/OC fics seems very popular right now, and I do so enjoy them, I just haven't decided what I'm doing. Daryl/Carol pairing have just as good of a chance. Ok so please read and please review, thank you.**

**Warning - I divided on a mature rating for drug use and references and some mild cussing. There won't be any sexual acts but if you are offended by drug use (and swear words) I advise you not to read.**

**—-**

Lorelei Lee has been on the run, hiding from from her childhood, since the day she turned 18. She, her best friend, and neighbor join a dying social class, known by many has hippies, though most of them prefer the term gypsy. For years they spend hitchhiking, mostly walking, where ever their hearts desire. But when Dylan's mother falls I'll and they end up back in the small town in Georgia they started in they are a bit grateful. The apocalypse hits and the dead rises up to feast on the living but Dylan's ex-marine dad has prepared for emergencies and they spend month locked in a bomb shelter, but they survive. Until the day Lorelei gets separated from the rest of the only real family she has ever had and forced to try to survive alone. Well alone besides faithful Maximus who saves her life on more then one occasion. Then the day comes when she all but gives up on making it any further a redneck with a crossbow finds her and brings her to his home. When she is allowed to stay, can she forget her past and learn to see that not everyone in the dying world is out to get her?


	2. Chapter 2

The sun is coming up. I can just make out the red streaked sky through the thick foliage. I lean my back against the trunk of a rather uncomfortable tree. 'Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning,' I think to myself, then proceed to think that there probably wasn't any sailors out there worrying about weather on the ocean right now. My stomach suddenly growls, and quite loudly judging by the way Maximus looks up at me, and I double over in pain from it cramping. The cramps were starting to get worse, they felt like teeth tearing through my insides, exactly how I'd think it'd feel if my body was literally eating itself.

"Its okay boy," I pat Max on the head. "I'll be okay."

I chant it a few more times I think hoping that I will start believing it myself. I drop my pack off my shoulder while sinking to my knees with it. On the very top was my very last box of granola bars; I had been saving them because they were my favorite, chocolate covered coconut. I rip open the box, then the individually wrapped bar and stick the bar in my mouth while I continue digging in my pack. I've finished munching my granola bar when I finally retrieve the last four packs of dog food I have.

"Gonna have to find a house to loot pretty soon, boy," I tell Maximus as I tear all four pouches open and dump them on the ground. He starts chomping away at the pile as I open another bar and begin to chomp on that myself. We hadn't found a house to ransack in a week, I was running low on water and I was desperate for a real bed to sleep in. I lean up against the tree while I finish off the box of granola bars. Max finishes his food in record time and sits down in front of me and just stares at me licking his chops.

"I don't got anything else Max," I tell him, giving him scratch under the chin. He used to be a pretty buff dog but since we've been separated from the rest of our group he's lost quite a bit of weight. And he's in serious need for a bath, the poor dog at one point had been white and now he's mostly brown from dirt and grime but a lot of it is dried blood especially around his muzzle. I pick up my bow and quiver and lay it across my lap so there will be room for Max to sit next to me. He curls up as close to my thigh as he can get, resting his head on top off my thigh.

The sun as brightened and it was starting to get a bit warmer, soon I will be sweating my ass off trekking through these damn trees. My stomach growls softly, like it was reminding me that it would not be silenced. I pull out a pack of cigarettes from the front pocket of my jeans and pull out my last joint, leaving my last two cigarettes for later. Quickly, I stuff all my garbage back into my pack before zipping it and slinging it onto my back. I just get stood up and was lighting the joint when suddenly Maximus's ears lay flat against his head and he growls very quietly.

"Fuck," I whisper as I, too, hear the faint rustling of the foliage caused from corpses forever wandering.

"Kommen," I add, even more of a whisper then before. I walk as silently as I can manage, continuing west following the sun's path in the sky. Maximus keeps close to my heels and his eyes alert.

Its been several hours, the sun shines from directly above me now, and I think I've finally lost the wanderer. I unhook a gallon jug of water from my waist and take a long drink from it. I only had one more full jug after this and my cottonmouth wasn't helping preserve any water. Max sits down and stares at me waiting for his own drink, from a side pocket of my pack I manage to slide out an old whip cream bowl. Max's tail whips back and forth when I drop the bowl and fill it to the top with water.

I untuck the rest of my joint from behind my ear and lit it so I can finish it while Max drinks. Its not the best tasting stuff I've found but at least I didn't cough up a lung with every hit. That always sends corpses stumbling in my direction. I smoke it down to almost nothing before I snub it out against a tree and stick it back into my pack of cigarettes. Max drinks the entire bowl of water, which makes me feel a bit guilty for not stopping and giving him some earlier, but I pick up the bowl and I'm stuffing it back into the pocket when there is a crash from behind me.

I have an arrow knocked and draw it back while Max's hackles rise and his lips curl in a silent growl. Even though I stand completely still, all of my senses in complete alert, when the corpse stumbles out from behind a tree I hesitate. Every time I see one all I do is remember the first time one stumbles out of nowhere and trips over its self trying to get to me. I shake away the flashback and release my arrow straight into the corpses' head. Max leaps forward and bites into its neck before fetching my arrow.

"Guter Junge," I whisper taking the arrow from him and nocking it a second time. The woods are insanely quiet, I really miss noises. I start walking still following the sun's path, Max follows me without having to say anything.

I hear rustling and at one point even the horrible moans of a corpse nearby. Suddenly, Max snarls and lunges past me where a corpse falls out of a bush he grabs it by the throat just as I let my arrow fly straight into its glazed over lifeless eye. Again Max pulls it out and returns it to me, and I nock it a third time. I start walking again but I only get a few steps when I trip over a branch laying on the ground and fall to my face. I have to bite my lip to keep from screaming, crying, and cussing my lungs out. I roll over and use the thick branch I tripped on to help myself up.

"Komm, schnell," I manage to say through gritted teeth. Max is on my heels regardless, as I knew he would be, as I now limp my way forward. I sling my bow over my shoulder and stick my dirty arrow with the rest in my quiver, I figure using my pistol would be a bit easier. I really hate using the loud thing but desperate times cause fore desperate measures. Every step is horrific, coupled with the fact I had no idea how many corpses were out there hunting me, I was really feeling desolate.

Finally after feels like months, but when I look at my watch its only been an hour since my last stop, I lean my back against a tree and take another long drink from the water jug. My ankle is killing me. I don't hear any noises around me at the moment so I take a chance to roll my pant leg up to look my ankle over. Its already turned blue and dark purple and its twice as big as the other one. Max's ears perk and he let's out a low growl, but for once I ignore him and reach for the hidden pocket that I keep my looted drugs in.

I pull out a large orange prescription bottle. Ever since the beginning of the end, after we left the bomb shelter, my friends and I kept an eye out for marijuana. It wasn't until we came across a Mr. Merle Dixon that we started saving other types of drugs we came across. For awhile he was even our biggest customer, trading pills for fresh meat, fresh water, ammo, or whatever he had we wanted. And there was a few other groups or individuals we came across that was happy to see what we had to trade. Merle was a smart man, untrustworthy, slimy, and a bit of a sadist, but a smart man.

"Whatever kind of shit hits the fan you can always rely on two things, Lil Miss," he told me the last time I had ran across him, which had only been a few days after Max and I got separated from everyone else.

"And what would they be, Dixon?" I inquired with a slight smile.

"There will be people that want drugs and people that have drugs," he chuckled tucking the orange bottle I had gave him into his pocket.

"Ever thought you'd be on the other side?" I asked as I picked meat of of the squirrel he had cooked for us.

He just laughed and patted me on the head, he was always condescending like that, especially to me. It would drive Dylan up the wall but I would just shrug it off, at least he wasn't hitting me. The last I had seen of Merle was his back as he left me and Max alone, sitting around a dying fire.

Max growled again, bring my attention back to the present, I quickly looked around and didn't see a corpse baring down on me so I figured I still had a minute. I open the pill bottle and dump four of the yellow pills into my hand before throwing them into my mouth. I take another swig to wash them down, stick the bottle into my jeans pocket, and take of walking again. Thankfully, it doesn't take long until I feel my stomach churn as the pain killers kick in.

Eventually, the sun drops and we are stuck walking blindly in the dark. The moon is almost full so at least it shines enough light on us that I would be able to see a corpse in enough time to hopefully take it out. Normally as soon as the sun set I would climb a tree and sleep up in the branches but with my ankle swelled I knew I wouldn't have a chance climbing. I stopped one more time to swallow another couple pills, they really helped numb the pain in my ankle and I needed all the help I could get. 'Just make it through the night,' I repeat over and over in my head, not daring to speak out loud.

The night drags on and I just get weaker. Every step I take I rely even more on my walking stick. I dig the prescription bottle back out of my bag and swallow a few more pain pills. This time they don't make my stomach churn nearly as bad as the first hand full I swallowed but they definitely start to affect my head. I think I can see the sky getting a little lighter when I finally have to just stop. I ease myself onto the ground and gather some forest debris about me to cover my legs. I really hope the sudden drop in temperature signals that it is in fact the sun coming up. I remove my pack and bow off of my back and lay down, still clutching my pistol in my right hand.

"Pass auf, Junge," I mutter as I cover more of my body in dead leaves and let my mind succumb to the pill high.

**a/n- Max's commands.**

**Kommen- come**

**Guter Junge- good boy**

**Komm schnell- come, quickly**

**Pass auf, Junge- watch it boy**


	3. Chapter 3

Its real nice to get out of that prison for awhile, get away from all the politics. That was one good thing traveling with Merle, it was always his way or the highway. No need for a bunch of whiney ass people wanting to do something different, most of the time irrational. But the best part of getting away was I got the chance of pretending there wasn't a shit load of people out there relying on me. Its really been the one thing that's been the hardest to get used to. Nobody has ever relayed on me before.

Usually I would be out here on Merle's Harley but ever since he died I can't even look at the damn thing. I actually wish I still had my truck but honestly the bike was a bit easier on gas. I really hadn't planned on going on a raid, I just wanted to get out a minute, but there was no point in just wasting gas just to escape. I don't find much of anything, I do come up with a few more cans of baby formula which is something close to gold nowadays.

Everything thing was pretty quiet while I wandered from house to house looking about for anything useful. It was rare for a walker to catch me off guard anymore, really. And my drive back to the prison I've only seen only passed through one horde mingling in the road. The speed odometer just hits 85 mph when I round a corner and hit the brakes.

Sitting in the middle of the road is a rather large shape. At first I just think its half of a walker but my speed slows a bit more as I get closer and slowly it starts to transform into the shape of a dog. I end up at a complete stop about a two feet in front of it and I get a good look of the animal. Its a large pit bull by guessing from shape of its head, its fur is stained with old blood but its muzzle is almost dripping with fresh blood. I sit there staring at the creature for a few minutes when it finally stands up and trots over to my door. It sits back down right outside my door and stretches his paw out to rest on the door handle.

I reach out for my crossbow, cocking back the bolt, and wrapping my finger around the trigger. The dog sits with his paw on the car for a minute before standing up again and walking slowly towards the tree line where it sits again and staring intently at me. 'Fuck,' I think to myself as I open the car door and slide out with my crossbow. I very quietly close the door behind me before walking carefully towards the dog. He jumps to his feet as I get closer and dances around my feet.

"Calm down boy," I say to the animal trying to give it a pat on the head but he dodges my hand and takes off into the woods.

I figure I don't have anything else to loose and trot after the dog. I follow it for a good hour and a half before it finally stops next to a pile of random forest debris. I spin around looking out for any sign of a trap or ambush but see nothing out of the ordinary except maybe the dead walker with its throat ripped out. I turn back to the dog and see that its uncovered a small hand with white painted fingernails. The dog is stretched out next to the rest of the pile with his nose resting underneath the hand. I rub my neck as I stare back into the dog's suddenly almost tearful eyes.

"Alright boy," I mutter out loud and drop to my knee next to him. I wipe away the debris to reveal a pretty girl, she's laying on her back with her dark green eyes open staring up blindly. She's got wad of dreaded dark brown hair piled on the top of her head and tied with a ribbon.

I quickly check her pulse to make sure she wasn't about to turn on me but as soon as I grab her cool wrist her eyes twitch in my direction, she simply blinks looking straight through me. I clear away the rest of the debris and attempt to set her up right against a tree but her hands fly up in front of her and she pushes away from me. I put my hands up slowly when I notice the gun she has gripped in her hand.

"Easy now," I say calmly, looking her over. She's got on a long sleeve tye-dyed that's tattered and worn pretty thin and she has a patch work skirt wadded up around her knees with a holey pair of jeans underneath. The girl looks around as if she didn't understand why she was hearing voices. "I ain't gonna hurt yah,"

The girl blinks rapidly and when she stops I see a faint hint of consciousness in the girl's eyes. She reaches out with the hand not holding the gun and drops a bottle on the ground in front of me. I pick it up and look inside to see a mixture of random pills and I shake my head understanding what was wrong with her. She shakes her head like she's trying to shake the fog out of her head then slowly she struggles up into a sitting position. I gingerly reach out to put my arm against her back to help support her as she carefully rolls up her pant leg showing me her severely swollen ankle.

"If I was going to die," I hear her whisper very quietly, her voice very hoarse. "I was not going to suffer."

She chuckles still very quiet and slowly her body slumps against my chest. I quickly slid the gun out of her hand and check the clip, it was still fully loaded, so I slip it into the band of my jeans. I sling my crossbow over my shoulder before slipping my arm under her knees and pick her up as I rise back to my feet. Once I've stood up I notice a opened back pack and a bow and quiver on the ground next to where she had been laying. I shift the girl's weight and start to bend over to grab her stuff but her dog quickly snaps the stuff up in his jaws.

I lead the way back to the road and the dog does a good job keeping up with my pace. Every once in awhile the girl's eyes will open and she'll stare right through me, mumble something I can't hear and then fall back asleep. Her hand, though, continuously rubs against my shoulder. It seems a lot quicker getting back to the road then it was leaving but I suppose I did keep a pretty steady pace trying to get back as soon as possible.

I get back to the car and carefully lower the girls legs down and lean her against the trunk. She leaves her hand on my shoulder and tightly grips my vest, I chuckle lightly just thinking about the small girl's seemly tough grip and imagining her actually trying to hurt someone. I get the back door open and help her set down onto the seat her grip tightens for a moment and her eyes fly open.

"Whoa," I say slowly placing my hands on her shoulders. "Ain't nothing gonna get yah."

"Max," she whispers, looking at me but not.

"My names Daryl," I tell her calmly. She shakes her head and tries to push me away and stand up, but I grab her waist and make her stay sitting.

"My dog," her voice is still just a whisper but this time there is a hint of panic.

Suddenly, the dog pushes his head in between us and lays his head on her lap. The girl smiles sadly and slowly pets the dog on the head, starting at the top of his brow and down is neck over and over again.

"We gotta go," I tell her, slightly hesitant to interrupt whatever kind of moment she was having.

"Is it safe?" She asks, her voice slightly stronger.

"Its been so far," I reply with a shrug but she doesn't even look up from her dog. I pick up her legs, carefully, and slid them into the car door. She looks up then, and she raises her hand to gently brush my cheek before laying herself down completely, curling her legs up on the seat with her swollen ankle on the top.

"Maximus rides upfront," she informs me dragging her finger up and down against the back of the passenger seat. I open the driver's door and hold it open for the dog that I know assume to be Maximus. He jumps in and sits down in the passenger seat dropping his burden on the floor in front of him.

Carol and Maggie are at the gate when I finally make it back to the prison, I note both of their confused stares at Max riding shotgun. I continue up all the way up to where we had the rest of the vehicles parked with out stopping for any questions. As soon as I climb out of the car Max is out behind me, he spins around chasing his tail for a second before jumping up against the back door.

"Cool dog!" I hear from behind me and see Carl and a few of the other children headed our way. I step side ways blocking the kid's path, not knowing how the intimidating dog would react to a swarm of children or the children reacting to the sight of the blood stained pit.

"Just run along for now," I tell them dismissively and they all groan in unison before shuffling away. "Carl, maybe you should find me your dad."

Carl nods understanding and runs off towards their little garden area. I turn back around and get the back door open from around Max. The girl is awake, still laying in the seat, or at least her eyes remain open. Gently, I pat her leg to try to get her attention and it seems to work because her gaze turns in my direction.

"Can ya get out by yurself?" I ask holding my hand towards her to offer her some support. She slaps it away and struggles upright, using the head rest in front of her completely for support. "She always like this?" I ask the dog jokingly. Neither one of them say anything but I hear footsteps behind me and see both Rick and Hershel coming my way.

"Carl said you wanted to talk," Rick says, removing her leather gloves. "And that you've got a dog."

"Dog ain't mine," I say roughly and point to the car. "He led me to her though. I think she's got a broken ankle."

Hershel limps past me and leans into the back door where the girl just stares at him. She's got herself pulled into the very corner of the back seat, she's almost like a cornered animal.

"And it looks like she's about starved to death," he mumbles. Louder though he's says to the frightened girl, "you don't have to be scared anymore."

I see her take a deep breath from the back window, her gaze stares back out at me, I'm slightly surprised to see them alert this time instead of glazed over and looking half dead. I walk to the other side of the car, the dog following right behind me, and slowly open up the back door, ready to catch her if she falls out. But she must be using all her strength to grip the head seat because she don't even budge when the door opens.

"I'm hungry," her gaze as followed me to the door and she whispers to me.

"We can help with that," I tell her, keeping my voice low. I can see the wheels turning her head as she debates her only options, she makes her decision and slowly lifts her swollen ankle out of the car and tries to stand. I don't offer any help but her hand automatically goes to my shoulder to steady herself as she wobbles slightly. We make it around to where Rick and Hershel waited and watched.

"Can you tell us what your name is?" Rick asks kindly. The girl leans back against the trunk but leaves her hand resting on my shoulder. I see the awareness leave her eyes and she just blinks in response to Rick's question.

"She must be in shock," the old man says limping closer to her. I don't say anything, there was no reason to bring up the bottle of pain killers I had stuffed in my pocket, I planned on saying something to the girl once her mind cleared.

"Let's find her a cell and I'll send Dr. S up to check on her," Rick says, turning around and walking back the way he had came. Hershel watches him walk away but don't say anything.

"Can yah walk?" I ask the girl who has taken to staring blankly at Hershel instead of myself. She just blinks so I just pick her up in my arms and head into the prison, her dog at my heels and Hershel follows behind it.

"He's got a mighty fancy mustache," I hear her chuckle into my ear.

"Yeah," I laugh quietly. "I suppose he does."

"I don't mean to brag but I've got a pretty swell mustache myself," I turn my head slightly to see her face and she's got her index finger curled under her nose with a faded mustache tattooed on it. I can't help laughing out loud, she smiles widely and lays her head on my shoulder.

"Classic," she whispers before I see her eyes close and she falls asleep. I follow behind the old man, he leads me to the cell block the Woodbury residents have moved into. We pick a cell further away from everyone, I lay her down on top of the blanket. As soon as I step back Hershel has her skirt folded up and cuts her jeans with a pair of scissors. I leave just as the doctor comes in and starts asking Hershel a shit load of medical questions, half of them I don't even understand. I stomp back out to the car but I see the trunk already popped and Glenn is unloading the bags of supplies I had brought back.

"Its good you found more formula," he says when he sees me walk up. "Beth has been having a hard time keeping the kid full."

"Yeah i figured we couldnt have too much of the stuff," I shrug. People were always thanking me for just doing shit just to survive. I close the trunk and from the back window I see part of the girl's bow. I help Glenn carrying the bags inside where everyone in the block pounce on them like a walker does on flesh. While they are busy ripping through the new supplies I sneak back outside to bring the girl her weapon and back pack. The doctor and old man are still busy talking about the girl's ankle so I just drop the stuff just inside the cell door and head back outside to find d something to do.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm conscious before I actually wake up. The first thing I am aware of is that I am no longer laying in the woods somewhere, the second thing is my ankle is killing me, and the third is that Max's breath really really stinks. I stretch my hand out to feel for Max's head, I find it just inches from my face which explains the moist air blowing on me as well, and push him away.

"Sich hinlegen," I manage to whisper hoarsely. My throat is extremely dry and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth like glue.

"Good, you're awake," I hear a voice come from close by and I am then totally aware that I'm not alone. I use all of my remaining strength to push myself into a sitting position, I feel a cool rough wall behind me and I lean back against it to help keep myself upright. Then I finally open my eyes and take a look at me surroundings.

I'm in a cell of some sort, a prison cell would be my guess but then again I have never been inside of a prison so its only a guess really. There is only one bed built right into the wall and there's a small table built into the wall across from me. Max looks up at me from where he had laid down on the floor and I'm glad to see he's perfectly fine, other then still being rather filthy. And finally I look over to see an Indian man sitting on a small stool, blocking an chance of an exit.

"I'm Dr. Caleb Subramanian," the man says after several minutes of me just staring at him.

"Am I being held here?" I ask my voice just above a whisper. The man seems to be friendly but honestly, you need to be just as wary about the living as you had to be about the dead.

"Of course not," the doctor says standing up. "You were found in the woods with a fractured ankle and severely malnourished. Rick, or Daryl, or someone will want to know you are awake to come talk to you. I'm just the doctor and you should be fine if you stay off that ankle for a few days."

He disappears out the cell door leaving Max and myself alone. I lift my skirt up some and see that my left shoe is gone and my jeans have been cut at the middle of my shin. My ankle is black and blue and at least three times bigger then my right ankle. I sigh and lean my head back against the wall, I vaguely remember being carried out of the woods and being in the back of a car. Max sits up and lays his large head on the edge of the bed to stare at me. I pet him absently as I lean forward to look for my personal belongings. I see my bow and quiver laying on top of the table and I let out a sigh of relief, I would just die if I had lost them. My backpack is on the ground next to my feet, I slide forward enough on the bed so I can pick the bag up by its slightly slimy handle. Setting the pack on my lap I start going through it, everything seems to still be in there including my granola bar garbage, but when I open my secret drug pocket I see my prescription bottle is missing.

"Goddammit," I mutter then a thought hits me and my hand flies to my hip to find my holster is also empty. I zip my bag back up and throw it to the ground angrily. I don't know what would be worse, if I lost them in the woods or if whoever had drug me out of there took them. I lean my head back against the wall and stare blankly at the wall in front of me. There's a knock at the cell door that scares the crap out of me making me jump about three feet in the air. A man walks in and sits down on the stool the doctor had been sitting on, he's a rough looking guy with a serious five o'clock shadow. He's got a strong, intimidating presence and I take him to be the man in charge.

"My name is Rick Grimes," he says offering me his hand to shake. Max stands up and sniffs around the man's feet, then lays down with his head on top of my foot.

"I'm Lorelei Lee," I take his hand and shake it, his grip is slightly stronger then my own. His name sounds familiar but I can't place where I would have possibly heard it before. "And this here is Maximus."

"He seems like a pretty smart dog," he says looking Max over.

"He is," I smile down at the dog. "And he's really friendly, I know he looks scary but he's totally used to kids crawling on him. He would never harm anyone with out reason."

Rick Grimes nods his head, thoughtfully before speaking again, "are you planning on hanging around?"

I shrug my shoulders and absentmindedly pick at a seam on my skirt. I honestly had no plans anymore. All I wanted to do was find Dylan and Meggie and everyone else but after being gone so long I wonder if they are even still trying to find me. They were my family, the only people on the planet that have ever given a damn about me and I didn't know if any of them was still alive. I look up at this intimidating stranger and wonder if its even possible for me to let go and move on.

"I had a group," I start quietly, avoiding his piercing gaze. "The six of us, well seven counting dear Maximus, have been together since the beginning of The End."

"That's an accomplishment," he interrupts kindly. "Making it this long with out losing anyone."

"Well," I smile sadly. "At first there was more of us. Almost thirty but a few died within the first few days, from bites or they just, turned. I don't know really what happened Mr. Anderson kept it separate from the rest of us really. But we drug them outside and dug holes to give them a proper burial, Zoe insisted on it. Dylan's dad was an ex Marine and had a bomb shelter fully stocked with survival gear. We lived for months on dehydrated food. And let me tell you what, if I ever have to eat powdered eggs again in my life, it'll still be too soon."

Rick laughs and leans back a bit on the stool, I hope to get comfortable because I wasn't close to being done.

"But eventually the food ran out and we would go out looting nearby houses," my eyes darken a bit as I remember the first time stepping foot back in my father's house. I shake my head and decide I didn't need to relive everything, I really didn't need to break down in tears in front of this guy. "We lost a few people then too some people really weren't cut out for surviving an apocalypse, ya know? Anyways, eventually Mr. Anderson decided we need to move, he said that it was pointless staying there, that there was nobody coming to save us. Sometimes I wonder if he had know what what happen if he wouldn't have made us leave. There was probably only twenty so of us left at that point but we only made it a few months before a horde got us. Only the six of us made it out."

I don't say anything for a few minutes, I don't know why I think partly because I wanted him to say something for a minute. But he let's me sit in silence and regroup with my thoughts. "We made it because we had been out trying to scout a place to sleep. To be completely honest though, I was so happy it was us that did make it. Meggie and Caroline at my very best friends on this planet and well Dylan has always kind of looked after me," I pause again and refuse to look anywhere else but my hands folded in my lap because of the tears threatening my eyes.

"Its been over two months since Max and I got separated from them, I've looked and looked but I didn't know where we were to begin with and it was dark when I ran from the corpse. I thought I was making it just fine on my own but I don't do very well by myself," I tap my temple once before adding, "too many demons in here I suppose."

Still he doesn't say anything, just let me dwell for a moment. I sigh loudly and quickly wipe away a tear before raising my head and looking at the man. "I can be useful," I tell him. "I can hunt when there is game around, I studied archery in high school and it was a hobby for me since then. And Max here he can chew on a corpse's face all day long and not get infected, glory of being a dog huh?"

Before I can list anymore assets I can add to his group Rick raises his hand to silence me. He scratches his chin for a second then leans forward placing his elbows on his knees. "I've got three questions, you answer them and I'll talk it over with the council," he tells me.

I start to argue but bite my lip, I'll see what the questions are then ask about this council, and for a glass of water.

"How many walkers have you killed?" Is his first question, and I assume walkers is their term for the dead.

I think for a minute and briefly try to count them up in my head. "I don't know, I've lost count really, I don't know if I've ever really tried to keep count," I shrug dismissively.

He don't give me any indication on whether or not I've answered correctly and instead asks his next question, "how many people have you killed?"

I raise my eyebrow at the second question, but then I could see why it was a necessary question. "Two," I reply my voice failing me and it comes out as a very hoarse whisper.

"Why?"

I had seen the question coming but I still wasn't expecting it. The tears that had been threatening my eyes disappear all together. I grit my teeth and look him in the eyes. "I'm not going to lie and say I hadn't thought about putting a bullet in her head before, but I did, a lot," I pause but I don't turn my eyes away. I swallow a couple times trying to relieve the dryness in my throat. His expression doesn't change and trying to meet his hard stare starts to make me a bit uneasy.

"When Mr. Anderson finally allowed us to leave the shelter he insisted I go check on my stepmother and father," I pause again, I realize I've never told anyone this. Dylan and Freddie had been there but I had made them wait outside. "I hadn't stepped foot in that house in seven years but it looked just the same. I had gone upstairs first, I think to see if my room was still intact but I heard something in my parents bedroom. When I opened the door there was my father, I had always thought he smelled bad but this was different. He was dead, that was obvious, but yet he still tried to come for me."

I finally drop my eyes and stare at my hands. Rick still had the same look in his eyes, it wasn't mean or judgmental just real observant. "That was the first time I had seen a corpse up close but I didn't hesitate even if he had been my dad. Downstairs is where I found my ma, she was sitting at the kitchen table with her crossword book and a glass of whiskey. I actually tried to get her to come back with me but she resisted, then when she stood up and back handed me across the face and called me those awful names she used to yell at me. Well, I shot her and it was over with."

I look back up and he's still just staring at me. I chew on the inside of my lip and think of something else to say. Finally I see a flash in Rick's eyes and he moves, reclining again on the stool.

"What about the other one?" He finally speaks. "You had said two."

I nod my head, I had said two. "Technically, I guess Mr. Anderson doesn't really count, buts its weighed heavy on my soul. He had already been bit, got bit and still took down thirteen corpses," I smile faintly. "I found him covered in his blood and the blood from the dead laying under a picnic table. I wanted to go back to get Grayson and Dylan but he made me stay, said it was almost over and I had to be there to put him down. I didn't want to but he said it was my duty."

I had cried so hard that night, poor Mr. Anderson had patted my knee to comfort me. The man was dying and he was telling me it would be alright. 'You are a good girl, Lorelei,' he had told me. 'God won't judge you for this.'

'What about all the other commandments I've broken?' I asked him wiping my nose on my sleeve.

'Celia and I offered to adopt you when you were only ten,' he said completely changing the subject. I knew the man wouldn't have much longer, his breathing was irregular and he just stared straight up at the stars. 'Your dad even thought about it but it was you step mother that slammed the door in our faces,' his breath hitched and for a second I had thought it was over but he blinked and carried on, 'if I had known what had been going on in that house Lorelei I would have came to get you.'

'Thank you Mr. Anderson,' I smiled sadly. 'That means the world to me hearing you say that.'

He patted my knee again and I knew it was over, I gave him a quick kiss on his forehead before standing up. I closed my eyes when I let the arrow loose but I knew it had found its mark, they always do, and I turned around never looking back.

A hand touches my knee gently and I force myself back to the present. Rick has stood up and I have missed someone bringing in a bowl of food and a large glass of water. On the floor I see there is also two bowls placed for Max, one filled with scraps and the other with water.

"I'll go talk to the council, you two rest and eat," he tells me heading for the door. "I'll ask someone to come up in a bit to see if you are still hungry."

He leaves and I waste no time digging into my bowl, Max follows my lead with his own. The bowl consists mostly of what looks like oatmeal with some vegetables and chunks of meat floating in it. The veggies seem to be canned which is fine with me, much better then dehydrated, and the meat I guess is rabbit from the greasy texture. I all but lick my bowl clean and chug the glass of water in two whole drinks before setting the plate onto the table and picking my bag back up. I didn't know how long they would leave me alone here but I really wanted something to calm my nerves down a bit. I dig my pipe out and the canning jar I keep my stash in; its been getting pretty low, I haven't found any in quite awhile. It was a bit easier finding stuff when we were closer to Atlanta, raiding suburban homes that used to house pill popping housewives and rebellious teenagers. There was the one old farmhouse we found a few months back that some old man had been growing in, he had quite a stash but most house in the country have stashes of canned goods.

"You keep watch for me Max," I tell the dog. He just tilts his head at me and I see his tail wag. "Beobachten."

His tail wags again as he turns around and lays down facing the cell door. "Guter Junge," I tell him, as I fill my pipe and lay back down onto the bed.

**a/n- Max's ccommands.**

**Sich hinlegen- lie down**

**Beobachten- watch**

**Guter Junge- good boy**


End file.
